The present invention relates to metallurgical furnaces and, more particularly, to blast and cupola-type furnaces used to produce molten iron.
In U.S. Pat. No. 3,831,914 I described a blast and/or cupola type of metallurgical furnace that includes a cylindrical shell divided into zones, with each zone being separately cooled. This furnace also includes a conventional bustle pipe and a plurality of tuyeres.
One of the operating problems experienced by owners of blast and cupola-type furnaces having tuyeres is water leaks and the necessity of removing and replacing tuyere blowpipe assemblies whenever such leaks occur.
In my continued effort to improve blast and cupola-type furnaces, I have conceived of such a type of furnace which does not experience loss of production time due to tuyere water leaks and due to the ever increasing difficulty in replacing tuyere-blowpipe assemblies. My improved blast and/or cupola type furnace has no conventional bustle pipe and no conventional tuyeres. Instead, my improved furnace has an annular wind or hot blast plenum which is formed integrally with, or which is connected securely to, the furnace shell. The wind or hot blast in the plenum enters the furnace through a narrow perimetrical slit in the encompassing shell or envelope as described more particularly hereinafter.